Although my puppy is great with people and dogs, I want to get him used to having a muzzle on in case in the future he needs it. He put up a fight when the vet tech tried to take blood the other day and got me thinking what I will do when he is 90 lbs and doesn't want to cooperate.

Any advice on which muzzle to get? I would like a basket type. I know I may have to buy a few till he is full grown...I'm ok with that. I just want a muzzle that works well and is high quality.

Although my puppy is great with people and dogs, I want to get him used to having a muzzle on in case in the future he needs it. He put up a fight when the vet tech tried to take blood the other day and got me thinking what I will do when he is 90 lbs and doesn't want to cooperate.

Since I'm on dog #5 and 4 of those have been GSD's, and I've never had to get my dog used to a muzzle, you may want to go another route. Specially cause if your dog is already freaked at the vets, and sick, then you only muzzle them there you will REALLY have a freaked out dog. Really hard for our vets to diagnose and find a problem when our dogs are mental wrecks.

I go a different route entirely and instead just have the vets be another place I socialize and get my pups to realize it's just another day out with mom. So instead of my normal weekly socialization adventures (or maybe in addition to...) we go to the vets with a big ziplock full of cheese/liver/chicken. And I'm having her do her tricks, and letting the vet and vet techs feed her. As well as if it IS a normal vet visit I"m getting the clicker out and treating her as the exam takes place and the needles are going in....

Hey, if my puppy is ok visiting a huge monkey/person (without a muzzle) then going to the vets is easy!

Thanks. He is fine going there, loves the attention he gets. Rides the elevator table up and down. He didn't like being restrained by the tech to donate blood for a test. His issue is being restrained, he didn't even make a sound when the needle went in. During this time, I was giving him treats, trying to get his attention, etc.

Not sure what else I can do....have been going to the vet frequently since I didn't want to combine the vaccines, so we are there every two weeks. He is getting lots of practice there. He is pretty good in the waiting room. Only barks when other dogs bark. I do training in teh waiting room to get his attention on me.

Otherwise, I hold my dog secure at the front end. So if anyone does get bit it would be me . Though since I usually have a handful of hotdogs/cheese/liver that she's licking out of my fist it's not too stressful for anyone. And if it did get too tense in some procedure then the staff at my place are expert at quickly slipping their muzzles on (and off) just for the exact time it's needed to be utilized.

So, for me, I'd keep doing what you are doing. Making the vet's a wonderful happy place that you and your pup enjoy visiting. Take lots of treats (BTW, those cans of fake cheese you squirt out are also great to use to distract and engage as they lick the can with slowly squirting cheese coming out). And hopefully then if a muzzle does have to be used in the future it's just quick and not a big deal, just another part of a crazy day.

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